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PCIe Express SSD Upgrades for the 2014 MacMini

handheldgames

handheldgames

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Apr 4, 2009
1,943
1,173
Pacific NW, USA
For those purchasing a 2014 Mini, a variety of Apple PCIe SSD's are available from EBay to meet your need for speed.

Looking at MacMini pricing, the $699 model offers the greatest opportunity to install a SATAIII SSD and an Apple Slash for ultimate performance that exceeds what ANY CPU upgrade can deliver. The $699 Mac Mini model offers the greatest opportunity to install a SATAIII SSD and a 512GB x2 or 1TB x4 Apple SSD. The $899 Mac Mini model offers the greatest opportunity to install a SATAIII SSD and a 256GB Apple SSD(beware Sandisk SSD's that may be included as their performance is less than desirable)

  • Apple Blade SSD Drives from Late 2013 - Late 2014 Apple devices use the same interface.
  • Apple/Samsung drives offer the fastest performance. Other brands, such as Sandisk should be avoided unless you don't care about performance
  • Most Apple/Samsung 128GB($125) / 256GB($225) / 512GB($400) SSD's are x2 PCIe channel Drives and are limited to 800MB/s performance.
  • All Apple Samsung 1TB drives are x4 PCIe channel match the reported nMP performance and can be picked up for $600.
  • EBay prices fluctuate. You may need to wait a couple weeks to find the best price.


A new version was just picked up from EBay that offers 2X the fastest SSD performance ever... (most versions on Ebay are not this revision)
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Just ordered the $699 2004 mac mini and upgraded to the 256 gb pciE flash. We'll see what apple gives me.

Those are impressive sequential read / writes for the XP941 NGFF. Here is the crystal disk mark (src). For os use, sequential read/writes matter less.

RAID-XP941-CDM.png
 
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ymarker said:
Just ordered the $699 2004 mac mini and upgraded to the 256 gb pciE flash. We'll see what apple gives me.

Those are impressive sequential read / writes for the XP941 NGFF. Here is the crystal disk mark (src). For os use, sequential read/writes matter less.

Image
Click to expand...

Considering that's a Raid 0 XP941 512GB, Apple's new single stick solution(non NGFF) is nearly matching it's performance! :eek::eek: Good luck on the nMacMini SSD lottery. Hopefully you'll get a Samsung PCIe flash.


Cape Dave said:
Her is a real sweet piece on eBay now. I drool:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Samsu...?pt=US_Solid_State_Drives&hash=item33967735c9

I drool hard.
Click to expand...

Ive found the best search to be "Late 2013 macbook ssd" with a maximum price of $850 to see what's available. Sellers from Korea pop up almost daily, with a price of $500 + 45 shipping. Just bid a dollar or 2 over the price and even if you miss the auction, the seller usually offers one at your auction price + shipping. NOTE: This is for the slower 1TB. chrisdillo is the only seller to known to have the fast SSD's (at least one that a macrumors member received).
 
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barkmonster said:
Why would want to waste the money putting a PCIe SSD in such a slow system? PCIe SSD with a 1.4Ghz i5 in a desktop is pointless because you still have 4Gb of soldered RAM and the slowest CPU in their range.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is all about crunch power and not read and write speeds.

The 2012 can achieve those speeds with two SSDs in RAID 0 also.
 
Last edited:
barkmonster said:
Why would want to waste the money putting a PCIe SSD in such a slow system? PCIe SSD with a 1.4Ghz i5 in a desktop is pointless because you still have 4Gb of soldered RAM and the slowest CPU in their range.
Click to expand...

That is such a stupid comment.

Putting an SSD in any modern computer is worthwhile. The speed difference will be astounding. The bottleneck, as far as average use, on the entry level mini is the gimped and crippled 1998 5400 HDD.
 
Tough Guy said:
That is such a stupid comment.

Putting an SSD in any modern computer is worthwhile. The speed difference will be astounding. The bottleneck, as far as average use, on the entry level mini is the gimped and crippled 1998 5400 HDD.
Click to expand...

No it isn't if the system is slaughtered by models directly above it. Half the RAM, a 1.2Ghz clock speed disadvantage and half the HDD capacity make the entry level Mac Mini a waste of money.

I see your point about an SSDs effect on the way any computer works. I doubt my 2009 Mac Mini would cope without one as a boot drive but you have to appretiate the practicality of cost.

Apple charge £160 for a 256Gb PCIe SSD and it would be wasted money on a 1.4Ghz i5 when you'd be matching a fast storage system with a medeocre CPU.

It's one thing upgrading the RAM to 8Gb and booting off an inexpensive 60Gb SATA II SSD to get the most out of a 2009 system because the system itself is worth £200 at most used. To waste a small fortune more than that on an SSD for a new system that's so underpowered compared with every other system in it's range is pointless.
 
Tough Guy said:
That is such a stupid comment.

Putting an SSD in any modern computer is worthwhile. The speed difference will be astounding. The bottleneck, as far as average use, on the entry level mini is the gimped and crippled 1998 5400 HDD.
Click to expand...

I don't think he is talking about an SSD but rather a more expensive PCIE SSD. I would not put a 750$ ssd into a base mini. Would you recommended a friend to buy a base mini then put in a 750$ PCIE SSD off ebay?

if you want to upgrade at all, the 2014 699$ model with fusion would be the best bet IMO.
 
"No it isn't if the system is slaughtered by models directly above it. Half the RAM, a 1.2Ghz clock speed disadvantage and half the HDD capacity make the entry level Mac Mini a waste of money."

Above IS SO TRUE!

Entry level mini is pure crap all around. Apple should be embarrassed to put their name on it. Have the alleged CEO Mr. Cookie call me if he has any questions.

----------
cfedu said:
I don't think he is talking about an SSD but rather a more expensive PCIE SSD. I would not put a 750$ ssd into a base mini. Would you recommended a friend to buy a base mini then put in a 750$ PCIE SSD off ebay?

if you want to upgrade at all, the 2014 699$ model with fusion would be the best bet IMO.
Click to expand...

I definitely would do it. But on a maxed out i7 2014 mini. Well, maxed out except for the hard drive :)

For my needs I am sure it would give me the speed increase I desire and be fine for my usage. If I all of a sudden become a Video Editor like my friend does on The Good Wife, then I will rent his Avid system :)
 
Cape Dave said:
"No it isn't if the system is slaughtered by models directly above it. Half the RAM, a 1.2Ghz clock speed disadvantage and half the HDD capacity make the entry level Mac Mini a waste of money."

Above IS SO TRUE!

Entry level mini is pure crap all around. Apple should be embarrassed to put their name on it. Have the alleged CEO Mr. Cookie call me if he has any questions.
Click to expand...

There are some positives with the Base mini. Hopefully the 2015 Broadwell mini destroys it and comes with 8GB of ram base. If this is the case the resale value will be pretty low for the 2014 Base IMO. I will be nice to pick up one of these used next year for 200$-$250. I could stomach that price for a low powered media PC.
 
cfedu said:
There are some positives with the Base mini. Hopefully the 2015 Broadwell mini destroys it and comes with 8GB of ram base. If this is the case the resale value will be pretty low for the 2014 Base IMO. I will be nice to pick up one of these used next year for 200$-$250. I could stomach that price for a low powered media PC.
Click to expand...

At $200, I'll even hook one up to my TV :)
 
Cape Dave said:
At $200, I'll even hook one up to my TV :)
Click to expand...

I purchased the base 2014 and the mid 2014

every here is missing that these minis allow for t-bolt 2 booting. no muss no fuss really fast stable external ssd . use the crappy internal for your backup.
you won't need more ram as the ssd will swap out and ram won't be as bad not like swapping out to a 5400 hdd.

The base mini is cheap 499. the 5000 graphics are better then the current 4000 and the top speed of the cpu is not 1.4 but ramps to 2.7 while the i5 mid ramp to 3.1 ... If you are like me and going to run you mini with an external t-bolt 2 ssd you will be fine with the stock cheap 499 model. besides after I test both models I will return one . so if the stock 499 is too slow I will just keep the 699.

down side of these minis is lack of quad cpu.
 
philipma1957 said:
I purchased the base 2014 and the mid 2014

every here is missing that these minis allow for t-bolt 2 booting. no muss no fuss really fast stable external ssd . use the crappy internal for your backup.
you won't need more ram as the ssd will swap out and ram won't be as bad not like swapping out to a 5400 hdd.

The base mini is cheap 499. the 5000 graphics are better then the current 4000 and the top speed of the cpu is not 1.4 but ramps to 2.7 while the i5 mid ramp to 3.1 ... If you are like me and going to run you mini with an external t-bolt 2 ssd you will be fine with the stock cheap 499 model. besides after I test both models I will return one . so if the stock 499 is too slow I will just keep the 699.

down side of these minis is lack of quad cpu.
Click to expand...

Good idea, T bolt booting. Do you know of any drives that would be good for that?
 
128gb SSD PCIE

I have a couple of 128gb SSD PCIe SSD's from macbook 13/14 anyone know if one of these is likely to fit and allow me a fusion drive with my 2014 mac mini 1TB HDD ?
 
philipma1957 said:
I purchased the base 2014 and the mid 2014

every here is missing that these minis allow for t-bolt 2 booting. no muss no fuss really fast stable external ssd . use the crappy internal for your backup.
you won't need more ram as the ssd will swap out and ram won't be as bad not like swapping out to a 5400 hdd.
Click to expand...

What so good about Thunderbolt booting? I assume you mean for OS X?

Assume you upgrade via BTO to a 256 or 512GB PCIe SSD for you boot/applications, is using TB2 for booting faster in this situation?
 
BeatCrazy said:
What so good about Thunderbolt booting? I assume you mean for OS X?

Assume you upgrade via BTO to a 256 or 512GB PCIe SSD for you boot/applications, is using TB2 for booting faster in this situation?
Click to expand...

I own this item
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/blackmagicmultidock

I also have a lot of ssd's

I have been booting with
thunderbolt external drives for years. So my cost is zero. I have no need use the expensive small internal pcie's options.

there are cheaper thunderbolt 2 externals then this one.

These externals end up being used for 2 or 3 pc upgrades. As mac decides to lock down it's desktops these are a work around. also this blackmagic will allow you to run 2 mac at the same time.
 
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